The use of local languages in formal education is a widely debated educational strategy in sub-Saharan Africa. National-level policies abound which permit mother-tongue instruction in primary grades, and yet successful implementation of those policies is not merely so common. The reasons for this are varied, but one powerful reason has to do with…

A modified version of Sylvia Ashton-Warner's approach to literacy training, originally developed to teach Maori children, is described. The adapted method was used in Ecuador in an international literacy education program. With this method, rather than using a text, learners are taught written words important to their lives and are encouraged to…

The decade of the 1970s saw a relative decline in the enrollment in Quebec Province of students in English schools, and a relative increase in enrollment in French schools. This shift was especially reflected in a decreasing proportion of Francophone and Allophone (having neither French nor English as a native language) students attending school…

The divergent Quichua language ideologies existing among an indigenous group of the southern Ecuadorian Andes mountains are examined. Analysis of data from 51 interviews with indigenous highlanders, including parents, teachers, school administrators, and political leaders, reveals the existence of two conflicting Quichua language ideologies: one…

The usefulness of classifications within and comparisons among languages as a means of discovering the commonalities of human language is discussed. Metalinguistics offers not only the potential for analyzing the specifics of each language, but also the tools for teaching across languages. (MSE)

Research indicates that the number of ethnic community mother tongue schools may actually be increasing in the United States. These schools moderate and modulate ethnic uniqueness while channeling Americanness via the community's own institutions. (Author/GC)

Describes the educational situation facing "retornado" families and children, Mexican transnational immigrants moving between New York City and Puebla, Mexico. Examines factors underlying the current lack of first language and second language instruction for the Spanish-English bilinguals returning to live in Mexico. Offers suggestions…

Although Kashmiri is the first language of 3-4 million people, it has many features of a minority language. This article reports research suggesting that teachers in Kashmir have a poor opinion of the language, question whether it is really a language, and wonder whether it is worth teaching. (Contains 28 references.) (JL)

Surveys language awareness in Netherlands, outlining history of language awareness in Holland, tracing back to late nineteenth-century reform movement. Second section deals with teaching Dutch as a native language, third gives account of what language awareness means in context of Dutch as a second language, and fourth describes language awareness…

In the American southwest, Pueblo Indian tribes have managed to retain their languages and cultures far longer than many American Indian tribes who have suffered complete language loss as a result of historical oppression, displacement and annihilation. In more recent times, however, Pueblo Indian tribes have faced tremendous pressures to abandon…

This article examines the discourses of the Tagish website team as they formulate an Indigenous language ideology based on traditional values and contemporary responses to language endangerment that contrasts with the approaches of outside agencies. The Tagish website project makes use of digital sound files, photographs, videos, and text. In…

This second edition of "Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe" contains 44 indicators in five chapters entitled "Context," "Organisation," "Participation," "Teachers" and "Teaching Processes." It has been produced in collaboration with Eurostat and belongs to the "Key…

This paper focuses on Cyprus's arts and cultural education. The Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for setting the aims for cultural and creative dimensions of education. Decisions about the creation of the curriculum related to culture and creativity within education, as well as the arts curriculum are made at a central…

The use of ICTs to support literacy in a minority Indigenous Australian language is an important domain of pedagogy that is often overlooked by teachers in these contexts. The development of new technological configurations in remote communities can be highly supportive of Indigenous languages spoken by a small number of people. This paper reports…

Taking a position that is unusual these days, New Jersey officials are promoting research that says bilingual education methods have an edge over English-only methods in teaching English-language learners to read. This article talks about the importance of bilingual education or a blended approach in the implementation of Reading First Program in…